What happened to community policing?

EDITOR:

I want to share my experience that happened to my family and I on Friday night June 24.

My family and I had spent the day at Sun Splash in Roseville and had a wonderful family day that concluded with dinner around 8 p.m. We live in El Dorado Hills near Ridgeview Drive. My son had a friend he invited for the day that I would drop off close to our home off El Dorado Hills Boulevard.

As we made our turn headed south bound up El Dorado Hills Boulevard toward Fire Station 85 my wife screamed and said “watch out.” As I looked to the right front corner of my vehicle a man appeared out of nowhere running down El Dorado Hills Boulevard. I swerved to miss this person. I almost struck him with our vehicle.

I immediately looked in my rearview mirror and observed the man running and stumbling down the middle of El Dorado Hills Boulevard in the direction of Green Valley road. I called 911 and gave the details to dispatch. I turned my vehicle around in fear someone else would hit this man. I was able to pull off the road and get the man off the road as well. After talking with the individual it was very apparent he was extremely intoxicated. I told him to stay put and again called 911. The man took off running a second time headed down the middle of El Dorado Hills Boulevard where I placed a second call to 911 to give direction of travel. I entered my vehicle once again to try to get this person off the road. I had to detain this person and have my wife call 911 a third time. I held this individual on the ground until law enforcement arrived.

El Dorado County sheriff deputies arrived and quickly took control of the situation. I must say that the two deputies that responded to the scene were very professional in their abilities to communicate as I explained what had happened. Moments later a CHP officer pulled in and exited his cruiser where he approaches with an intimidating demeanor to ask me where the blood on my arm came from. I replied from the individual the sheriff’s officer has in custody. The CHP officer then asked what had happened. I explained the whole situation where it ended up I had no choice but to detain the individual for his own safety and the safety of others. Incredibly his response to me was “Why?” He then rudely asked me if I had training in law enforcement. I have had training in law enforcement and know how to handle out-of-control individuals without putting myself in danger. This CHP officer had no clue of my experience or that my family has over 120 years of law enforcement history.

I was shocked and so were my wife and son and his friend who heard the whole conversation as our vehicle was 5 feet away from where we were located. My son’s comment was “Dad, I can’t believe that highway patrolman spoke to you like that and used those words (profanity).” Apparently this officer has forgotten about California’s Good Samaritan Law. I will continue to interact in any situation that I feel my family, myself or a stranger’s safety is at risk in my community. The next day I kept thinking about how that CHP officer treated me and told me to stay out of those situations! That’s what we are here for. My first thought was how this could have completely devastated my life or another person’s life if one of us had struck this person and killed him.